In a uniquely Texan tradition, high school graduates often receive quilts woven from their old T-shirts and uniforms—tangible maps of memory and identity. Charlie Anderson, widely recognized as the violinist for atmospheric black metal outfit Panopticon, has crafted his debut solo album under the name Weft as a musical quilt. This debut album, The Splintered Oar, set for release on December 19 via Bindrune Recordings, intricately stitches together the many fabrics of Anderson’s artistic influences, instrumental proficiencies, and regional roots.
The project’s name itself derives from the weaving term “weft,” the transverse thread that binds a tapestry. Anderson elaborates on this central metaphor: “Weft refers to weaving. Warp and weft are used in fabric production. It’s also about weaving together all my musical influences. But it’s really about the idea that all of these fabrics come together to shape who we are and our experiences.” Charlie Anderson’s debut album powerfully embodies this process of conscious entanglement.
A Love Letter to the Gulf Coast
The Splintered Oar functions as a profound tribute to the Texas Gulf Coast, specifically the city of Galveston, where Anderson spent much of his youth. However, this debut album is far from a simple homage; it is a sophisticated commentary on ecological balance and human hubris. Anderson explains the album’s core concept: “The record explores how Galveston symbolizes the earth reclaiming itself from us. I see it as a poetic example of nature reclaiming itself from human overreach and hubris. Water is a central theme of the record.”
This thematic focus led him to a specific creative mission for this debut album. “I was really proud to try to make a black metal record that represented the Gulf Coast region. There isn’t another record that does that directly,” he states. “I wanted to do that for Texas.” Lyrically, this debut album delves into landscapes of decay and collapse, exploring the futility of human endeavors against nature’s relentless forces. Amidst the imagery of crumbling kingdoms and rising tides, however, flickers of resilience persist—a testament to the will to endure even in the face of overwhelming gloom.
A Tapestry of Sonic Influences
The musical architecture of The Splintered Oar is as layered as its themes. Anderson’s deep affection for progressive rock and metal’s more complex realms is woven directly into this debut album’s DNA. He cites Opeth’s My Arms, Your Hearse and Bathory’s Blood on Ice as key metal touchstones, which he collectively refers to as “all of the nineties blue records.” Furthermore, his passion for progressive music heavily informed the song structures of this debut album. “I’m a huge progressive rock, like, nerd,” Anderson admits. “So some significant influences for me always are gonna be the early Genesis stuff, like Lamb Lies Down on Broadway. Gentle Giant, Universe Zero, Art Zoid, and Magma.” This synthesis of demanding prog intricacy and a raw metal aesthetic is grounded in a disciplined songwriting philosophy on this debut album.
For Anderson, the process is “always music first. Music is the main way I express myself. It’s like my first language.” Consequently, his greatest satisfaction with this debut album lies in its compositional foundation. “I’m definitely delighted with the songwriting,” he affirms. “That’s the one thing that once I have that in place, I know that I can feel good about this record now.” The Splintered Oar demonstrates this commitment.
The Alchemy of Authentic Performance
Despite his extensive background as a recording engineer, Anderson found the mixing process for his own debut album to be the most significant challenge. “The biggest challenge was mixing the record,” he reveals. “I lacked the normal objective perspective that I have when I’m mixing other people’s stuff.” His sonic goal for this debut album was particularly ambitious: to capture the atmospheric feeling of stormy weather on the Galveston coast.
This pursuit led to a conscious rejection of modern production polish in favor of organic authenticity in this debut album. “I was okay with it being a rougher sound rather than trying to polish everything up and snap it to a grid,” he says. “So there’s no quantizing anywhere on the record. There’s no drum sampling, all the performances are 100% real.” The collaborative spirit was vital to the realization of this debut album.
The drumming of Panopticon’s Austin Lunn was especially pivotal for this debut album. “His drumming was just the moment that the record came to life,” Anderson recalls. “In two days, he knocked out all of the drums for the entire album. It’s such a privilege to get to work with all of the people involved on the record.” The album benefits from these contributions.
From Past to Future: Weft on the Stage
Anderson’s history as a bassist for the Austin prog-metal band Transit Method provided a crucial rhythmic foundation for his current work on this debut album. Now, with Weft, he looks to the future with clear intentions to translate his studio vision to the live environment for this debut album. “I have every intention of Weft being a live lineup—100%,” he confirms. “So realistically, I’m going to keep it to five. And it’s going to be drums, bass, two guitars, me doing vocals as one of the guitarists, and then someone playing violin and synthesizer live.” This plan marks an exciting shift for an artist primarily known as a violinist, and it aligns with the vision for this debut album.
Moreover, this debut album features a profoundly personal, full-circle collaboration. The country-style guest vocals on the poignant final track, “Dream of Oaks,” are performed by his friend Jordan Day. “He’s the reason that I am in Panopticon, basically,” Anderson explains. “So now Jordan’s on a record with Austin, and Panopticon is Jordan’s favorite band. So we’re all friends now, and it’s just this beautiful full circle moment.”
Ultimately, this debut album, The Splintered Oar, is more than an album; it is a meticulously woven testament to place, memory, and the unifying power of music. Charlie Anderson’s first album under the moniker Weft, The Splintered Oar, stands as a landmark release.
